Wow what a marvelous cover! Is that an alien city? or a ship? This one is a beauty! Veteran was my debut of the year 2010 and the sequel War in Heaven will be released this September. This is one of my most anticipated books of the year. Veteran had mysterious aliens, conspiracies, realistic battle scenes, fast pace, lots of wow moments and wonderful characters. I would say it was a mixture of Heavy Metal, Cyber Punk and Classic SF. It is Military Science Fiction at its best and I recommend it to a wider audience. I can’t wait for this new book.

This cover and blurb is fresh from the author. Thank you Gavin!

New Cover for War in Heaven

(Veteran book 2) by Gavin G. Smith (Gollancz) – Amazon UK | US

I should be dead.

The war with the aliens. Them. It’s over. Now we turn on ourselves. Human fighting human again, when we came so close to wiping ourselves out the last time and the bad guys, the true bastards like Rolleston, Cronin and the Grey Lady, hold all the cards. God may control the net, privacy is dead, but Demiurge is coming. We don’t stand a chance.

I’ve had enough. No more fighting for my life, last ditch assaults, putting my mostly machine body back together again. No more desperate chases, nearly dying in space when the integrity of the exo-armour starts to give. No more fear…

I’ve pushed my luck too far. I’m out. This isn’t my war, even if it means I’ve lost her.

Just one last piece of revenge.

But things never go as I plan.

If I could only stop thinking about Morag.

Jakob Douglas, damaged soldier and unlikely hero, returns in another desperate, adrenalin fueled adventure from Gavin Smith, author of the widely acclaimed Veteran.

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Orbit just released this shiny new cover for Michael Cobley’s third Humanity’s Fire novel The Ascendant Stars due 3rd of November this year. Seeds of Earth and The Orphaned Worlds was rather enjoyable space opera so this is high on my wish list. I hope we get a blurb soon too.

What do you think?

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I have really enjoyed Chris Wooding’s excellent retropunk novels Tales of the Ketty Jay. Retribution Falls and The Black Lung Captain was first and now this august it is time for The Iron Jackal.

I came across this new cover for the next Tale of the Ketty Jay earlier today. I must admit it is not quite what I expected, it seems to have lost some of the steampunk feeling from previous books and become more sleek and futuristic. What do you think?

Edit: This is an unfinished rough and the people behind the computer systems of most publishers are also responsible for Swiss cheese according to Chris himself

The Iron Jackal

by Chris Wooding (Tales of the Ketty Jay 3) Amazon US | UK (Gollancz August 2011)

There is no correct blurb out at the moment both Amazon and Gollancz has the old blurb from before Chris tossed it all and rewrote the thing.

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Title: Redoubtable
Series: Kris Longknife 8
Author: Mike Shepherd
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: ACE October 26, 2010
Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

Kris Lonknife: Redoubtable is now accepted by ACE and this is the final cover art according to Author Mike Shepherd [profile] website. This is the long awaited eight Kris Longknife Novel. There is a slight ‘spoiler’ from the author below, it doesn’t reveal anything catastrophic I think. The blurb is from Penguin’s catalogue.

Lieutenant Commander Kris Longknife has precise orders: seek out, engage,and destroy pirates, slavers, and drug lords operating beyond the rim of human space—without interfering in Peterwald family affairs. But when slavers kidnap a twelve-year-old girl, Kris’s mission becomes personal. And if destroying the pirate compound flattens some Peterwald interests—well, to hell with politics.

Kris and her charming wearable computer Nelly are among my literary friends. That they will be back with more intrepid and undaunted adventures later this year fills me with joy. Kris has that famous Longknife streak that always lands her in trouble usually at the request of old grandpa Trouble. In the last book she had a little run in with the Iteeche, an alien race that almost wiped out the human race just a generation back. Being the nice girl she is she brought them with on a texmex adventure before they part ways after deciding to meet again.

Cover Art for the new novel is done. Artist Scott Grimando have made the cover art for all the other Kris Longknife novells, so it would surprise me greatly if he wasn’t doing Redoubtable. And Surprise, surprise when visiting his homepage grimstudios.com I found the picture back in March. A real action shoot with a determined Kris firing an impressing looking rifle framed in what looks like a mountain area being struck from above by weapon fire from ships in orbit around the ringed planet. Kris looks very beautiful on the picture, I wonder if she is in love?

Mike Shepard adds some information that hints to the content beside what we know from the last book:

There was one surprise in the final chapter that I think I can let out of the bag early. Kris is no longer in the Wardhaven Navy. It’s official now, she is in the Royal U.S. Navy.

There is a glitch (how could there not be). U.S. does not stand for United Sentients like Grampa Ray wanted. It got changed during one of the last votes of the Constitutional Convention.

There were rumors about the Iteeche and meetings and things. Sentients sounded too open to those four eyed nasties, so US officially means United Societies. Kris has a bad feeling there is more behind the name change than meets the eye. She’ll have to talk to her big brother next time she’s on Wardhaven.

Source: krislongknifesblog.mikeshepherd.org

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The first novel in the Netherworld Trilogy Pleasure Model was a blast and you can now pre order it’s sequel scheduled for this summer. Read my recent review on Temple Library Review. The third book, Money Shot scheduled for November is also available for pre-order.

Title: The Bloodstained Man
Author: Christopher Rowley
Series: Netherworld 2
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Tor, June 8, 2010
ISBN-13: 9780765323897
ISBN: 0765323893
Order: Tor | Amazon US | UK | B&N

Presenting Heavy Metal Pulp, a new line of novels combining noir fiction with fantastic art featuring the theme, story lines, and graphic styles of Heavy Metal magazine.

Following the explosive events of book one, Pleasure Model, Detective Rook Venner, Mistress Julia, and Plesur are on the run from the government troops trying to kill them and from a shadowy group that wants to capture Plesur alive for its own purposes. What secrets have been implanted in Plesur’s head—and why are they worth killing for?

Caught between these two powerful rivals, the trio hides out in the lawless New Jersey territory. Betrayed by gang members looking to collect the bounty on Plesur’s head, the three are separated, and Rook and Mistress Julia find themselves in mortal danger. Julia, given as a prize to a gang member, finds herself in chains, but not without her own means of fighting back. Rook, forced to fight for his life in the gang’s bloodthirsty gladiatorial games, must stay alive long enough to rescue Plesur, but time is running out.

The Bloodstained Man is a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled ride through a future where pleasure has a price, and Plesur holds the key to a secret that could rock the country to its very core.

No cover or blurb yet for Money Shot but here is the data.

Title: Money Shot
Author: Christopher Rowley
Series Netherworld 3
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Tor, November 9, 2010
ISBN-10: 0765323907
ISBN-13: 978-0765323903
Order: Tor | Amazon US | UK | B&N